Restore moisture to a dry mouth

Dr. Paul Donohue Good Health

March 13, 2009|Dr. Paul Donohue Good Health

Dear Dr. Donohue: I am a 75-year-old woman in very good health. My problem is a dry mouth. A doctor told me that it comes from medicines, but the only thing I take is a multivitamin. On waking in the morning, my tongue is pasted to the roof of the mouth and my teeth. My mouth gets so dry, it affects my speech. I have tried mouthwashes and sprays, but they last only a few minutes. Can you help me? - L.F.

Dear L.F.: Everyone normally makes one to two quarts of saliva a day. Saliva production has to decrease by 50 percent before a person senses the mouth has become dry.

Many medicines dry the mouth but your multivitamin isn't the cause.

A blockage of the salivary ducts dries the mouth. Diabetes and previous radiation to the face can diminish saliva production. If you sleep with your mouth wide open, you wake with a parched mouth. Sjogren's (SHOW-grins) syndrome is notorious for producing a dry mouth. Your doctor has to look for these causes. Without finding a cause, finding a cure will be elusive.

Two medicines that promote saliva production are Evoxac and pilocarpine.

Artificial salivas and related products can keep the mouth moist for longer than a few minutes. OraMoist is a time-release disc that works well. So does Salivart spray. Biotene products are also effective. Numoisyn lozenges and liquid require a prescription.